Method and apparatus for selectively recording character broadcasting program data

Abstract

A recording and reproducing apparatus which receives character broadcasting information transmitted via a vertical blanking period of audio/video signals. The apparatus detects certain information from the received data, including a prefix portion and character information. The character information is screened for desired information which is then separated from the remaining broadcasting information based on the detected information, such as the prefix portion. The separated data is then recorded in a separate area on the recording track. Video data is recorded in a first area and audio data is recorded in a second area on the recording track. The character broadcasting information is reproduced by inserting the reproduced desired character information into the vertical blanking period of reproduced video data.

We claim: 
     
       1. A recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: means for receiving character broadcasting information transmitted via a vertical blanking signal of an audio/video signal;   means for detecting a prefix portion of the character broadcasting information and for recognizing character information of the character broadcasting information;   means for selecting desired character information from the recognized character information;   separating means for separating said desired character information from said character broadcasting information according to said detected prefix portion;   recording means for recording said separated character information in a pack structure so that said separated character information may be recorded a plurality of times in a plurality of tracks, and at different corresponding positions within adjacent tracks independent of said audio/video signal, wherein a video signal is recorded on a first area of a recording medium, an audio signal is recorded on a second area of the recording medium, and said separated character information is recorded on a third area of the recording medium;   reproducing means for reproducing said recorded character information, said recorded audio signal, and said recorded video signal from said recording medium;   means for inserting the reproduced character information into a predetermined vertical blanking period of a corresponding reproduced audio/video signal to produce a combined signal; and   means for outputting the combined signal.   
     
     
       2. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording and reproducing apparatus is a digital signal recording and reproducing apparatus which digitally encodes analog signals or digital signals before the recording and/or reproducing thereof. 
     
     
       3. The recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selected character information comprises a plurality of pages, and said recording means operates to record the separated character information when all of the character information is received. 
     
     
       4. The recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said recording means sequentially records in accordance with the order of page numbers. 
     
     
       5. The recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for designating the recording order of the plurality of pages; and wherein said recording means sequentially records in accordance with said designated page order.   
     
     
       6. The recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording means records portions excluding clock run-in and framing code portions in a character broadcasting signal without decoding. 
     
     
       7. The recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording means further includes means for decoding said separated character information. 
     
     
       8. The recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for detecting whether the contents of said character information have been updated; and wherein the selected character information is repetitively received and wherein the record means is operative to record the updated character information if it is determined that the contents have been updated.   
     
     
       9. The recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein if it is determined that the contents were updated, the updated character information is recorded together with an update time. 
     
     
       10. The recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recorded audio/video signal corresponds to the character information, and further comprising: means for inserting the reproduced character information into a predetermined vertical blanking period of the corresponding audio/video signal to produce a combined signal; and   means for outputting the combined signal.